The 11th Son
by The Hamillator
Summary: The Horus Heresy is over, and the traitors are fleeing back to the Eye of Terror, the Imperials snapping at their heels. Leading the assault are the Imperial Fists, hunting down all remaining heretics with extreme abhorrence. Chasing a fleet of Iron Warriors, the Sons of Dorn are pulled through a warp gate, leaving them stranded in an unfamiliar and hostile system.
1. Prologue - The 11th Son

Remus lifted his scythe and brought it down onto yet another patch of wheat. Watching the fragile stems come apart under the wide arc of the scythe, he rested the tool's shaft over his shoulder as he wiped the sweat from his brow, looking up into the darkening sky. It was getting late, his wife would be calling him in soon for supper. Staring at the myriad stars glittering in the sky like diamonds, Remus sighed at the beauty of it all before starting to turn away, but something caught his eye. A shooting star. Smiling as he remembered his mother telling him to make a wish upon seeing one as a child. He remembered wanting to join the Astra Militarum like his father, wanting to wear Imperial armour and serve the Immortal Emperor.

Shaking his head as he looked at his fields of wheat, he whispered to himself "We all serve the Emperor in our own ways".

Turning away Remus began walking towards his homestead where his family awaited him. He could almost smell the delicious meal his wife was cooking already. Stopping in his tracks, he noticed an odd glowing light behind him. Turning slowly, he realised it was coming from above him. The shooting star, it was descending right towards his fields. Frozen in terror and awe, he stared as the light became harsh, the roaring projectile getting closer and closer before slamming into the ground in the distance, but the shock of the impact sent tremors through the earth knocking his feet out from under him. Landing hard on his back, he let out a moan as he felt his spine hit something underneath him, a rock or the shaft of his scythe he could not tell. Grumbling to his feet, as his eyes broke through the sea of wheat, he gasped in horror as he saw his precious fields engulfed in flames. The fire was starting to spread, devouring everything in its path like a swarm of locusts, leaving only smouldering ashes in its wake.

Walking backwards, he was about to run to grab a hose, but amidst the roaring flames, he heard another noise. Crying. Staring into the inferno again, in complete shock he listened to the unmistakable bawling of an infant child. Spurring into action, deluding himself that somehow his own child had been out in the fields too, he sprinted out towards the crash site.

Carefully weaving through the burning patches of wheat, he finally made it to the meteorite crater, only to see a strange object in its centre. The odd spherical object was about the size of a large dog, the metal pod was dented and glowing white hot. Right through the middle there was a crevice where the pod had split, the shredded metal jutting out like a splintered bone. Climbing down into the crater, and as he got closer, Remus realised the whining was coming from inside the pod. Moving over to it, already feeling the heat from the glowing metal, he took out his flashlight from his belt and shone it into the black split, peering inside. And he found a baby. With odd tubes and wires trailing from over its naked body, the child was bawling uncontrollably and squirming in its place. Getting a closer look as the pod cooled and started to return back to a metallic grey, and he realised the infant was covered head to toe in scars. But these wounds were old, long healed over leaving detailed discoloured patches on the skin, and it seemed to have sustained no damage whatsoever from the impact. It had burn marks and scars, sculpted almost like tattoos over its body, creating odd patterns that seemed to spin and swirl like the raging fire outside the crater, but the oddest scarring of all were the markings on the child's face. Scorch marks lining under its eyes and forming black rows over its lips, with lighter scars forming odd details, they all came together to create the image of a black and white skull over the child's face...


	2. Chapter 1 - The Sons of Dorn

"Captain, we have located the traitor fleet"

Captain Sigismund of the Imperial Fists paced the bridge of his Battle Barge as he listened to the servitor drone out its monotonous report to him. "Show them the might of the Emperor. In His name, burn them all" he replied coldly.

The massive ship knifed through the empty void of space, several dozen other ships following in its wake, in a relentless pursuit of the tainted warships of the treacherous and heretical Iron Warriors legion. The Imperial Fists Primarch, Rogal Dorn, had sworn to slay all heretics after witnessing the death of his father the Emperor of Mankind, and his first captain Sigismund was his right hand man in the assaults. Disembarking from Terra, the warfleet had caught up to a small group of Iron Warriors ships that were straggling behind the mass retreat, and the Fists were hungering for traitor blood.

The Battle Barge's bay doors opened as it prepared to launch boarding torpedoes when it was in optimum range, with the smaller strike cruisers moving up flanking the Barge, readying their weapons systems.

Captain Sigismund walked over to the vox operator beside one of the many servitors plugged into the deck as his personal Space Marine guard stood diligently at the sides of the bridge. Buzzing in, Sigismund spoke into one of the vox channels "Commander Toravius, do you copy?"

There was a slight pause as the open channel fizzed with static before a muffled reply came through "Aye Captain, we stand ready".

"When your cruiser reaches optimum range fire off boarding torpedoes and secure the immediate point of entry around the landing site, my unit and I will lead further assaults to reinforce you"

"Understood Captain, target the Commander's Barge?"

"Confirmed Commander. Sigismund out". The Captain turned from the operator and nodded to the dozen terminators, who filed out after Sigismund to the armoury to prepare for the assault.

Meanwhile, a single Strike Cruiser pulled ahead of the main Imperial Fists fleet, its engines propelling it closer and closer to the traitor ships as its torpedo bays opened . Commander Toravius stood patiently in the armoury as several servitors tended to his wargear, placing purity seals on his greaves and shoulder pauldrons, while the various Techpriests and Techmarines rubbed sacred oils on his armour and burned incense over his weaponry, the Techpriests whispering silent prayers to their Machine God.

Looking around as his unit of Marines gathered their gear, being attended to by servitors as well, Toravius smiled as he saw many of his warriors clenching and unclenching their gauntleted fists in anticipation. Good. They were hungering for battle, and they would get it soon enough.

Stepping away as the servitors moved away from him, Toravius strapped his bolter and power sword to his waist, and waited for his men to finish preparing themselves before they all saluted in unison.

"Brothers..." Toravius addressed them. He had served alongside his men for several decades, knowing each and every one of them, their individual strengths and weaknesses on the battlefield, moulding his plans to perfectly suit whatever unit he was commanding to make the perfect fighting force. He could see the steely determination in their eyes as they stared at him with total respect. The bond between a Space Marine and his battle brothers was close, closer than the bond between mother and child. The Legio Astartes were a stone cold band of brutal soldiers, the angels of death, but each Marine had an undying love for his fellow warrior, and no enemy would shake that connection. Toravius knew this, and he smiled at that fact.

"The wretched heretics of Perturabo flee from us like the cowardly dogs they are. They know we are nipping at their heels, and they are running in fear. Come, my brothers, let us bring ruination to their doorstep, let them taste the wrath of the Sons of Dorn!"

With a chorus of "For Dorn! For the Emperor!" Toravius led his unit of Marines, followed by 4 other units of 12 marines towards the torpedo bays. Toravius grinned gleefully as he heard his cruiser purring and groaning as the multitude of systems whirred to life on board.

Captain Sigismund watched from the torpedo bay ports as two small black specks were thrown from a Strike Cruiser ahead of his Barge; Commander Toravius was on his way to the traitors.

"Captain" a servitor droned in its mechanical voice through the vox system. "The Iron Legion Barge is preparing for a warp jump".

"What?!" Sigismund roared into the nearest vox operator as he slammed his power fist down onto the buzzer, smashing it sending a sea of sparks flying into the air.

"The Iron Legion Battle Barge has just activated its warp generators. It is attempting to flee through a warp jump"

Captain Sigismund gritted his teeth as he looked out of the port again at the torpedoes containing Commander Toravius and 30 Marines per pod hurtled towards the traitor ship, which was already starting to bend space around it. The ship started distorting itself and the smaller vessels as pink and purple lightning erupted around it, before tearing a massive gash in reality, an absolutely enormous warp rift, a gateway into the immaterium. The boarding torpedoes had little in the way of manoeuvring after they were fired from the torpedo bays, and they weren't designed for warp travel. They weren't outfitted with Gellar fields, a specially designed shield intended to protect a space faring vessel from the horrors of the warp. Without it, the torpedo would almost certainly be overrun with daemons, if not torn completely inside out completely.

Sigismund resisted the urge to slam his giant gauntleted fist into more sensitive equipment as he watched the boarding torpedoes vanish into the swirling purple void with the traitor ships.


	3. Chapter 2 - Into the Heart of Darkness

His eyes snapping up as sirens blared out and red lights flashed above him, Toravius swore as he felt the torpedo start to shake. Turning to a nearby legionnaire, Toravius nodded and the battle brother spoke into his vox, trying to understand the situation, but only empty buzzing came back through. They were cut off.

Marching to the front of the torpedo, Commander Toravius looked out through the tiny circular port to the ship ahead, and felt his blood run cold as he saw the traitor Barge start to slip into the pinkish-purple tear in the void. Gripping the overhead rails as the pod shook violently from the turbulence of the warp rift, Toravius turned to his brothers and gave them all a grim nod of understanding. There was a chance that this rift could be somewhat stable, at least as stable as a gateway into the hellish realm of the warp can be, but this would most likely be their untimely demise. There were stories of great heroes of the Imperium making unprotected warp jumps and emerging on the other side completely unscathed... but there were far more accounts of legionnaires being possessed, turned into babbling abominations of chaotic mutants, their fate left to the hands of the executioners tasked with eliminating them.

As the first of the smaller traitor ships disappeared completely, swallowed by a cloud of discoloured lightning, the Imperial Fists' torpedo creaked in protest as it hurtled forwards, the pull of the rift dragging it faster and faster towards its heart. Several of the Space Marines flinched away as a massive dent was forced into the hull of the torpedo, a deafening clang ringing out in the pod.

Looking out through the port once again, Toravius watched the second torpedo catch up to the vessel and slam into its lower starboard side, fragments of the Barge's exterior hull breaking away around the point of impact and being scattered out into space. The torpedo held firm in the ships side, most likely disgorging its lethal payload right into the enemy.

Hurtling past the other pod, Toravius whispered a prayer to his now deceased Emperor, hoping that even in death his call may be heard. Then, they entered the warp.

The pod let out a groaning protest of denting metal as the torpedo seemed to shrink around them. Purple lightning arced around the inside of the torpedo, the sensitive equipment and controls at its head erupting in a shower of sparks. The Marines were all bracing themselves, one hand on the guardrail above, the other at their bolters. Suddenly, a lance of pink energy shot through the air within the pod, striking a brother Marine straight in the head, shattering his helm. Collapsing to his knees, he clutched his temples in his hands and began clawing down the sides of his head as he let out agonising screams, bright energy arcing around his body. Two fellow Space Marines reached and grabbed under his arms lifting him to his feet but the stricken legionnaire swatted them away before pounding his gauntleted fist into his head, drawing blood as his screams slowly shifted into words of an incomprehensible truly alien language. As a purple light started shining out from his eyes and his back snapped back in an impossibly tight arc, one of the Marines who had attempted to help him drew his bolter and placed a round in the berserkers head. The bolt made it several inches into the Marines skull before the cap detonated, blowing a gaping hole in his head that pushed his head against the torpedo's hull, before the twitching corpse slowly sank to the ground. Toravius tore his eyes away from the body. The Marine was being possessed by some warp spawn, better to end his life and service to the Emperor at the hands of an honourable brother than to die a horrific daemon of chaos.

Looking forwards again, Toravius felt a smile twitch on his face as he saw they were surprisingly still on course with the traitor barge. If he was going to die, he was going to take some of those heretical bastards with him. Leaning forwards as the cold grey of the Battle Barge's hull loomed closer, Toravius glanced back at the corpse of his fallen legionnaire, lifeless in a pool f his own blood on the floor. "You will be avenged, my brother".

Red lights flashed and sirens boomed throughout the various sections of the damaged Iron Warriors Battle Barge, renamed after the heresy to The Heart of Darkness. Traitor marines sprinted as fast as their enhanced legs would carry them, bouldering through any obstacles to get to the hull breach where the damned Imperial Fists had penetrated the vessel. A group of the silver armoured heretics moved through the twisted arterial passageways, but were thrown to the side as an almighty explosion rocked the side of the Barge, blowing out the ceramite wall as a conical head punched through it. Steam and pressurised air hissed out as the metal head swung open, and Commander Toravius stormed out of the pod, with a deafening roar "For the Emperor!"

Surging forwards, bolter and power sword in hand, Toravius' eyes immediately locked on to one of the Iron Warriors scrabbling to his feet. Firing off three shots from his bolter, the first shot burying itself into the wall inches away from the traitor's head, the second ricocheting off the Marine's pauldron. As the third round sunk deep into the traitor's arm, Toravius brought the power sword down, the energised blade sparking as it bit into the Iron Warrior's neck, thick red blood pumping out of the wound. With 30 of his brother Marines behind him, the few heretics were slaughtered in mere seconds.

Waiting for all of his brothers to file out of the torpedo, Commander Toravius smiled as he counted him and his men lucky to be only a single man down. Rallying his men behind him, he opened the vox channel to the other torpedo, but he was met by white noise from the other end. Cocking his bolter, Toravius led his unit onwards into the vessel.


	4. Chapter 3 - Thinning the Ranks

With his bolter resting against his shoulder, Commander Toravius weaved through the traitor vessel's passageways and corridors, pausing every so often to listen whenever he thought he heard footsteps. As the ship groaned and creaked under the stress of the interdimensional jump, Toravius and his Marines thought they could hear footsteps all around them, almost like there were many scuttling, and heavy footed, beasts crawling around in vents and pipes all over the ship.

Moving into one large room, Toravius ordered his men to halt as a gruesome sight befell his eyes. Littering the ground before him were the fallen corpses of foul Iron Warriors and loyal Imperial Fists alike. Strewn all across the metal floor, slick with blood, the cold bodies were dismembered and mutilated, showing clear signs of a brutal conflict. Kneeling beside one of the more intact corpses of a brother Imperial Fist, Toravius carefully lifted the body's head and removed his helm. Toravius recognised the Marine, Brother Echvard. He was there the day Echvard served his first day, and made his first kill, as a fully fledged Astartes.

Placing the helm gently on Echvard's chest, Toravius whispered a silent prayer over his fallen brother before rising to his feet, his lip curling in disgust as his eyes settled on an Iron Warrior, his body riddled with bullet holes. "I will avenge you, my Brothers".

On the Imperial Fists Battle Barge, first Captain Sigismund watched with sorrow as the infernal tear in space closed, a bright flash followed by a storm of lightning like energy expanding out as it disappeared. Turning to one of the servitors hooked up to the deck, he queried in his loud, authoritative voice "Is there any way we can track their path?"

"Boarding Torpedoes do not contain trackers" the servitor replied monotonously, its dead eyes staring straight ahead into the wall as it had been doing ever since its internment into the command bridge's systems. Shaking his head, Sigismund turned and walked to the head of the bridge, drawing his hands to a resting position linked behind his back. Sighing, he stated with regret, "Toravius and his men are lost to us... Rally the fleet to return to formation and move on".

Toravius halted suddenly and held up a clenched fist as he issued a silent command for his unit to stop. He heard something. Not just the incessant creaking of the damaged ship, there was definitely movement up ahead. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he knew not all of his squad would be able to see his signal and he couldn't run the risk of using the vox in case the enemy heard him, but he knew his Marines. Once they saw the rest of their brothers moving, they'd have the initiative to follow suit.

Springing around the corner, roaring a battle cry to his Primarch, Toravius charged forwards. His improved eyes locking on to the distinctive silver armour of the Iron Warriors, with yellow and black hazard striped across their greaves, Toravius levelled his bolter and squeezed the trigger, the muzzle flash illuminating their silvered armour and lighting it up in a deep amber. Riveting the first traitor with bolt rounds, each one blowing small parts of his armour off in deadly shrapnel, Toravius charged faster as he saw the heretics level their own bolters. Blowing a hole in the side of the Iron Warrior's neck with one of the rounds, shattering his helm, the Marine fell to his knees spluttering before being trampled by a sweeping advance of Space Marines. Growling as one of his own brothers fell to enemy fire, Toravius swung his sword in a wide arc in front of him, the energised blade throwing sparks as he cut a deep line across the next traitor's chest. As the Iron Warrior recoiled from the impact, Toravius pressed his advantage and plunged the blade deep into his midriff, impaling the Marine up to the hilt. Grabbing hold of the chest piece, Toravius held the traitor tight against him as the doomed Iron Warrior's body shook and juddered, a hail of enemy bolter fire tearing his back to shreds and keeping Toravius from harm. Walking backwards with his meat shield still being dragged along with him, the Commander raiser his bolter around the body and unleashed a sheet of fire into the enemy lines. With the Iron Warrior as an improvised shield, who was still clawing at Toravius' helm, the Commander retreated to rejoin his brothers before throwing the heretic to the grimy floor and diving for the nearest cover, a metre and a half tall metal cabinet sticking out of the wall, most likely a portal to some wiring. Placing a marksman bolt round in the dying traitors head he had thrown to the side, he moved in behind his cover again as a storm of bolter fire peppered the cabinet and wall behind him.

His brothers laying down coordinated rounds of suppressive fire, Toravius risked looking up over the cabinet to survey his surroundings. The Iron Warriors seemed to have anticipated their arrival somewhat; they were in position behind a row of low rockcrete walls, and their numbers seemed to be spread evenly behind the 3 walls. Looking more closely at the walls, Toravius noticed they were adorned with odd symbols and patterns. Odd, they almost seemed to look like...

"Commander!" Toravius ducked his head instinctively from the exclamation, just in time as a bolt round ricocheted off the top of his helm. Scolding himself internally for his carelessness, he pressed his hand to his earpiece on his helm and opened up a vox channel. It was weak and laced with static noise, but it was still somewhat useable. Bellowing orders down the channel, Toravius closed thelink and saw his orders being carried out as one of his brothers took a grenade from his belt, pulling the pin and launching it over his steel rail cover. Toravius heard the traitors roaring out orders to each other, before their voices were drowned out by a deafening boom as the explosive went off. Rubble raining over the area, Toravius took the moment to look up once again and started firing into the scattered Marines. Their walls with the curious designs were all but gone on one side of the room, only a single wall standing to provide any proper protection. Letting loose a bolt round at the top end of the long room, Toravius felled an Iron Warrior who was attempting to escape behind... an altar. The walls were attached to long benches spanning the length of the room, all facing towards a large altar with an 8 pointed star carved into the wall behind it. On the altar itself laid a humanoid creature, with very distinctive yellow Mk4 Maximus power armour, a black clenched fist printed on the pauldron, a white helm with laurel wreaths circling it. Toravius recognised the armour of one of his sergeants. A sacrifice.

His teeth gritting together, Toravius felt his hand clench instinctively around the hilt of his power sword. " _Those traitorous, blasphemous, motherless bastards..._ " Toravius swore to himself. Raising his power sword in a rallying call, he sprung from his cover and thundered from his position, joined by half a dozen other Imperial Fists. He would slay every last one of these traitors. He would avenge his brethren. For his fallen brothers. For Echvard. For the Emperor.


	5. Chapter 4 - Only in Death Does Duty End

Pumping his enhanced muscles, Toravius leapt forwards with his sword leading as he thundered towards the Iron Warriors, still stumbling to their feet after the explosion. With a mighty roar, Toravius lowered his shoulder and rammed into a traitor who had only just crawled up to standing, sending the heretic sprawling to the ground to be trampled by the tide of Imperial Fists that charged after their Commander. His power sword crackling with powerful energies, Toravius brought the well crafted blade swinging underarm at a full arm extension, cleaving a deep gash in the closest traitor from his groin up to his helm, before launching the back of his fist into the Marine's damaged helmet, completely splitting the faceplate revealing the cut and bloody face beneath. Moving past the collapsing body, Toravius drew up his bolter and unleashed the rest of his clip into the remaining traitor Marines who were hurriedly scurrying for cover before his Brothers cut them down like livestock.

Wiping his blade clean of blood on a nearby tapestry hanging from the wall, Toravius gathered his own Adeptus Astartes to him and began counting losses. He had lost well over a dozen Brothers, well over a dozen more than what was comfortable.

"Commander". Toravius turned to see one Marine stepping forwards to address him, with a curt salute. "What is our next move?"

Toravius sighed as he looked around at his loyal brothers, each and every one having taken off their helm to see with their own eyes. He knew the implications of their situation; they were stranded on a traitorous ship in the middle of an uncontrolled warp jump into Emperor knew where, with absolutely no way of contacting the rest of his fleet. They were alone, and most likely about to serve their last dutiful mission to the Emperor.

"My Brothers..." he addressed them, drawing himself to his full height. "We have all served the Imperium knowing that to die in battle, side by side as guardians of the Imperium is the greatest honour that could possibly befall us. I believe that our service to Emperor may end today".

Not a single Marine faltered. Not a noise came from their lips, no shuffling in their spot, they simply stood to attention, soaking in every last word from their Commander. Toravius fought back a proud smile as he saw his steadfast warriors before him. "We have lost many on this hellspawned vessel, and while you have all avenged your brethren with bolter and chainsword, there are still more of the foul Iron Warriors to be exterminated... We locate the ship's engineering, and overload the warpcore. If we are going to die here, by Dorn we're going to take every last one of those motherless bastards with us".

Finally allowing his pride to show through as a chorus of cheers erupted throughout his men, Toravius turned and led his Marines out into the cold depths of the ship, but not before whispering a final prayer to the desecrated, martyred brother on the altar.

Calling upon his knowledge of the schematics of his own vessel, Toravius wove his way through the cavernous corridors of the Heart of Darkness, laying waste to traitor Marines whenever they had the misfortune of crossing his path. Several hours had passed before Toravius and his 11 remaining Marines reached the ships engineering. Nodding to his brothers, the Commander levelled his bolter to the large lock and unloaded 3 bolt rounds into it, blowing it clean off of the door. Kicking the heavy iron doors open as if they were mere paper, Toravius scanned the immense room as his Astartes spiled in through the doors, spreading out along the sides of the door making way for Toravius. Hearing the tiniest muffled scraping and mumbling from behind one of the many power generator stacks that spanned the engineering bay, Toravius marched forwards and stepped into a clearing, accompanied by his Brothers. Surely, he found life awaiting him there, but these were no Iron Warriors. Huddled in a small cluster before him were a small group of chapter serfs; normal unaugmented humans onboard to pray and worship in the chapels and keep the ship clean and decorated. The 4 serfs were cuddled, surprisingly, around a single techpriest, who was staring up in horror at the Imperial Fist Commander with his one remaining natural eye.

Seeing the pure, unadulterated terror on their faces Toravius felt himself starting to lower his bolter, but then noticed that they were clad head to toe in 8 pointed stars, one of the serfs even had what Toravius could only assume was a foul prayer to some dark god tattooed on his bald head. Shaking his head as he pushed all sense of pity out of his mind, Toravius squeezed the trigger and let loose his bolter into the vulnerable heretics, their horrified screams only drowned out by detonations within each bolt round.

Turning his back to the bloody corpses, Toravius ordered his men "Secure the room, if you find any other heretics, kill on sight". He couldn't help feel a hot wave of guilt wash over him as he made his announcement. But traitors were traitors. No exceptions.

Walking down towards the back of the expansive area, Toravius heard shouts from a few other places around the room, shortly silenced by bolt rounds or whirring chainswords. Glancing across to his left, he noticed one of the serfs was covered in blood, she was scrubbing frantically at her clothes to try and rid herself of the stains that used to be her associates, seemingly not paying attention to the Space Marine reloading his bolt gun behind her. Turning away as the gunshot rang out, Toravius finally made it to an important looking control console built into the back wall, but as he reached it he was struck dumbfounded by it. It was completely foreign to him. Whoever was operating this had obviously had it taken apart and remade, for what purpose or reason he could not tell.

Spinning around and calling out to the room, Toravius said hurriedly "Keep one of the Techpriests alive", before gritting his teeth and opening up the shaky vox channel and repeating himself. "Leave a single Techpriest alive, we need someone to operate the core for us".

Almost as if he had been awaiting the order the whole time, a Space Marine appeared immediately, dragging a techpriest by his dirty hood before dumping him at the Commander's feet. Drawing out his bolter and cocking it threateningly, Toravius announced with exaggerated, bigoted self importance "We have taken command of this vessel, heretic, and we are going to overload the warpcore to send this whole wretched place into oblivion... but unfortunately someone has meddled with the control console. So you are going to do it for us. Overload the core. Now"

Toravius levelled his bolter to the Techpriests masked face as the man, if he could even still be called that; being more machine than human at this point, raised his hands pathetically in submission, babbling some uncommon guttural language that sounded more like an engine burning out than actual speech.

"I will not ask you again, but if you do this I will make your passing into the next life a little less painful", Toravius offered. The Techmarine, still believing survival an option, started to apologise in broken Imperial Gothic, butchering the pronunciation as he tried to bargain with the Imperial Fists. Grabbing the priest by the scruff of his neck, the Marine that brought him lifted the flailing man over and dropped him at the foot of the control console, before placing the muzzle of his bolter at the back of the priests head, ensuring he could feel it through his hood.

Whimpering still in barely recognisable Gothic, the Techpriest reached inside his cloak and pulled out a long wire to plug himself into the console. His artificial metal fingers clittering and clacking on the controls, he finally paused above one of the larger buttons, his finger hovering over it nervously. Toravius lost his patience as the Techpriest turned to him and began babbling apologies and promises of loyalty, and pushing the priest out of the way, the Commander pressed the button himself, as a blinding ball of light swelled from the power generators.


	6. Chapter 5 - Lord of Iron

His eyes narrowing from beneath his visored helm, an Astartes in Cataphractii pattern Terminator armour clenched his armoured fist. Curling his scarred lips into a twisted snarl, he shifted his immense bulk to turn to his warriors gathered around him.

"The overload has caused us to prematurely drop out of the Warp, and the core will detonate in approximately 10 minutes, my Lord". A single Astartes in silver armour stepped forwards, the red warning lights flashing overhead illuminating his armour blood red. Looking to his side at the video feed from engineering at the yellow clad Space Marines, the Cataphractii armoured Marine nodded and rumbled in a low baritone "We make our way to the drop pod bays, and if we come across the Fists... Annihilate them. But leave the commander to me".

Walking backwards away from the core console, Toravius turned to the Marine beside him and nodded, before announcing a retreat through the shaky vox channel. Turning his back to the Techmarine who was on his knees blabbering about loyalty, Toravius didn't flinch as a bolt round rang out, dropping the heretical priest to the ground. Moving back to the doors of the engineering bay, Toravius pushed the doors open as his Marines filed out, counting each squadmate as they went. 11 Marines all accounted for. With his Astartes gathered around him, Toravius drew in a breath before proceeding. "We still have some time before the core detonates, we may be doomed men but I wouldn't mind adding a few more heads to my kill count". With a chorus of shouts and cheers from his soldiers, Toravius led the way once again through the vessels corridors.

Despite the obvious imminent doom of the vessel, Toravius encountered a surprising lack of hostiles; none at all in fact. They had been walking for 6 maybe 7 minutes now and he could hear nothing from potential enemies, although that could have been to blame on the distant roar of the ever decaying warpcore behind them. Toravius was growing more impatient by the second.

" _Where are these traitors hiding at?_ "

His thoughts were answered as around the next corner, Toravius locked eyes with a band of silver armoured Astartes; Iron Warriors, and at their head was the hulking form of a Legion Captain clad in Cataphractii pattern Terminator armour. The surprise of stumbling upon each other so suddenly caused both parties to stare in disbelief for a moment, before Toravius and the Terminator Captain both roared simultaneously "Fire!"

Raising their bolters, the Imperial Fists opened fire upon the Iron Warriors, who were laying down fields of suppressive fire as they backed away to the nearest cover. Toravius kept his eyes on the Iron Warriors Captain, who had removed his helm and maglocked it to his hip, and recognised his helmless face. The two had met before, several decades ago when Toravius had accompanied Captain Sigismund to a meeting with a few high ranking Iron Warriors and Ultramarines about the planet of Rennimar, when some invading Orks ravaged the planet almost immediately after it had been secured by the Imperial Fists. Toravius remembered the impotent, childish behaviour of the Captain as if it was burned into his memory, and he hated it. This was Iron Warriors Captain Toramino, and at that moment Toravius swore to himself he would have the traitors head.

Recoiling as a bolt round ricocheted off his left pauldron, Toravius ducked and moved to some cover as he saw Toramino lower his armoured fist, smoke rising from the bolter fixed to his gauntlet as he bellowed out a command. A few Iron Warriors started to move right of the main fighting, looking as if they were about to execute a flanking manoeuvre, while the rest including Toramino started moving left along the far wall towards a strange indent on the wall, surrounded with a multitude of panels... Drop pod bays. The bastard was planning to escape!

Roaring out a command to his brothers, Toravius watched a Marine unclip a grenade from his belt and hurl it towards the traitor Captain's group. He waited with his head down for a moment, and as the loud boom shook the room, debris raining over the low cover Toravius had found, he leapt up with his power sword leading and thundered forwards, 5 of the 11 Imperial Fist Astartes drawing chainswords and following his lead.

As Toramino lowered his hefty arm that shielded his face from any debris and shrapnel, his eyes widened as the sparkling energy of a sword arced across towards his face. Raising the arm again as fast as he could, the sword bit into the silvered armour of his forearm and sparked with charged energy as the surprising strength behind the blow forced his arm against his face. His enhanced strength kicking in as the Terminator armour responded to his movements, Toramino swung his arm out and felt the back of his hand connect with a solid target, and saw the troublesome Imperial Fists commander staggering back.

Flexing his fingers as the talons of his lightning claws popped and sparked with unstable energies, Toramino stepped towards the commander, Toravius, as he remembered him, and lunged out with his weaponised hand. Grinning as he saw Toravius raised his sword in a pathetic attempt to block and stave off his imminent death, Toramino laughed as his fingers closed around the Marines' body. His laughter halted suddenly as he saw that it was not the commander who he held in his grasp, but a standard Imperial Fists Marine, and the Iron Warriors Captain growled as the Astartes who had thrown himself in front of his commander in a sacrificial act reached around over his immense silvered arm and began unloading a full clip into Toramino's face. Roaring in anguish as a bolt round exploded against the armour plating centimetres from his head, Toramino crushed his prey in his fingers and threw the crippled Astartes to the side.

Turning again to face Toravius, he saw one of his own warriors thrusting at the loyalist commander with a serrated combat knife. His scarred lip curling into a crooked snarl, Toramino lunged out and connected a bone shattering punch to the Iron Warrior's helm.

"I said this dog was mine!" he roared, lashing out again and back handing the off guard Toravius. Marching forwards, he locked his grip on Toravius' leg and dragged him back, before planting an armoured boot on the commander's torso, and began to pull. Laughing maniacally as he heard a dull crack followed by a tormented scream from the Astartes, Toramino tightened his grip and extended his back, pulling the leg even harder. His grip loosened however as a searing pain surged through his shoulder as the sound of whirring metal biting metal rang out beside him. Thrashing his body around, he saw a yellow armoured Space Marine gripping a chainsword, thrust up into his armpit with the swords teeth tearing their way further up into his arm. Pivoting as he dropped Toravius' leg, Toramino lashed out to strike the Astartes, but his armour was too slow. Ducking under the lightning claw as it rushed over his head, the Marine dashed to directly behind the Iron Warrior Captain, and gripped the hilt of the chainsword once again, twisting the blade and forcing it to bite and tear at his flesh.

Staggering to his feet, Toravius' vision finally cleared after that powerful blow to his head that Toramino delivered to him. Shaking his head to focus himself, he saw the traitor thrashing around and roaring in pain as one of his men, whom he recognised as Brother Diomos, was sidestepping to and fro behind the Captain, gripping a chainsword that was buried in the soft armour where his arm met his body.

Failing to suppress a smile as he saw Diomos taking full advantage of the limited manoeuvrability of the larger pattern of Terminator armour, Toravius lifted his leg to get off the ground, but his damaged limb gave out under his weight; a full tonne of muscle and armour. Collapsing to the cold metal floor as he let out a frustrated growl, he willed himself to one knee as he drew his bolter and unloaded the few remaining rounds into Toramino's bulk. Attempting to advance again, Toravius grunted as pain surged up his thigh and crotch where his leg was nearly separated from his body. Sensing a presence behind him, he gripped his sword and prepared to swing, but hesitated as he heard a voice call "Commander!"

A hand wrapping around his torso, the other lifting under his arm, Toravius stodd up supported by one of his men who began to lead the hobbling commander to cover, but Toravius resisted him.

"You must assist Diomos, Brother!" Toravius ordered, but the Imperial Fist kept on his course away from the skirmish, noticing a second Marine charging forwards with a chainsword roaring.

Reloading his bolter after sheathing his power sword, Toravius levelled his bolter at a nearby Iron Warriors legionnaire who had lifted his head out of cover and fired off a series of bolt rounds. The little explosive warheads detonated against the traitors blocky Mark III Iron Armour, shards of adamantium splintering off and flying through the air as the Iron Warrior's armour fractured and a cloud of red sprayed out from his neck.

Turning his attention back to the skirmish with Diomos and Toramino, Toravius' eyes widened as he looked just in time to see the traitor Captains' elbow smash into Diomos' face, his helm fracturing and his grip of the chainsword relented as his body staggered back. Seeing his opportunity, Toramino turned as fast as his bulky form could and threw out a devastating punch, connecting solidly against Diomos' chest, sending him flying into one of the open hatches of the drop pod bays.

Toravius let out a roar as he tore himself away from his helper's grasp and charged towards Toramino, stumbling under the strain of his injured leg for the first few steps but forcing himself onwards. He ran past a traitor Astartes who's head exploded under a stream of bolter fire, showering the vicinity with grey matter and shrapnel. Moving as quickly as he could, Toravius collided with Toramino's body just as the other Marine grabbed and twisted the chainsword embedded in the Captain's arm. Off balance, Toramino let out a grunt as his huge form toppled backwards, bringing the two Imperial Fists with him as he fell back into the open hatch of a drop pod.

Toravius was swallowed in darkness as he rolled into the drop pod, the immense armoured form of Toramino thrashing around on his back, shells from his gauntlet bolter surging out of the weapon, lighting up the tight space in a bright orange flash.

Hearing cries from both the loyalist and traitor sides outside, Toravius tried to stand but as the adrenaline left his body, his upper thigh felt like it was being stabbed by a dagger and he dropped to one knee. Looking ahead to see the form of Diomos, crumples against the hull, Toravius' vision was shattered as a large shape struck his square in the face, Toramino's fist catching the commander in his random thrashing. Staggering back, Toravius reached up instinctively and grabbed the guard rail, hauling himself to his feet. Looking to his side to face the downed Terminator, he noticed the other Imperial Fist had reached up as well to steady himself. Toravius' eyes widened as he realised his fellow Marine had inadvertently put his hand down on a control panel, and he heard the hiss of steam and a metallic _clunk_ behind him. Spinning round, Toravius saw the drop pod doors had closed, and his blood ran cold. Taking a step towards the door, Toravius was thrown to the ground as there was a boom and the drop pod began to shake violently.

They were being ejected.


	7. Chapter 6 - Burning Skies

Torvius hauled his body into a crouching position and kicked his legs out underneath him, launching himself forwards. Feeling his body being pulled towards the far wall of the pod, he was certain that the pod was in flight. Reaching out, he just managed to grab onto a guard rail as his feet were tossed to the side, flailing out behind him as the other Astartes in the claustrophobic space thrashed, being tossed around like ragdolls. Using his immense enhanced strength, Toravius clung on to the rail as he pulled his legs back towards him, activating the maglocks on his feet. With a loud _clang_ , his armoured feet thudded into the floor as the magnetic clamps build into his sabatons locked him to the metal floor of the drop pod. Turning around, he saw the huge bulk of Toramino finally starting to right himself as he clawed at one of the slots on the main pillar at the centre of the pod. The other Imperial Fist had also activated his maglocks and was securing brother Diomos to the far side of the central pillar, strapping him in place.

With a mighty roar, Toravius lunged at Toramino. He wasn't sure if the Iron Hands had set in coordinates for the pod before the skirmish had broken out, but if they did Toravius knew he had to secure himself to survive the landing. But there was no point strapping himself in to place at the central structure while Toramino still breathed.

Lashing out with a powerful punch, his fist collided with Toramino's jaw, who's head snapped back with the impact as he stumbled and crashed into the pillar. Reeling back for another strike, Toravius felt the pressure within the pod shift, the g-forces trying to pull him to the other wall. The pod wasn't flying straight; they were spinning in their descent to wherever they were headed.

Seeing Toramino's form shift away towards the other wall, the huge Terminator reaching out with his lightning claw to steady himself, Commander Toravius reached to his hip for his power sword. But the scabbard was empty. Looking around the pod frantically, he saw the dull blue glow of the energised blade underneath the lip of the far corner. Moving forwards, his maglocked feet dramatically slowing his movement, he made a single step before a silvered fist swept past, dangerously close to his face.

"I will have your head, scum of Dorn!" Toramino bellowed in his rage, clumsily staggering to his feet. Toravius deftly sidestepped as the Captain's lightning claws rushed past him, slashing into a section of the wall sending a shower of white hot sparks flying, illuminating the dimly lit pod. Stepping back as he quickly reached for his bolter, Toravius drew the weapon and levelled it to Toramino's exposed head and pulled the trigger. _Click_. The empty chamber clicked and Toravius threw the weapon to the ground in frustration. "Damnation!" he cursed, thundering forwards to collide with Toramino, hoping to catch the Iron Warrior off balance. But Toramino was ready this time. Reaching out as the commander impacted with him, Toramino wrapped his arms around Toravius' waist and lifted him into the air. Reacting out of instinct, Toravius lashed out with both of his fists; one gauntlet smashing into the traitors temple, the other shattering his nose.

Roaring in anguish, Toramino loosened his grip and the Commander dropped on top of Toramino's armoured shoulders. Kicking away, Toravius rolled on to the ground and jolted to his feet as the pod pivoted again, the ever shifting gravity pulling its contents towards the roof. Counting himself lucky, remembering his maglocks, as he saw Toramino lift towards the roof, thudding with a deafening clang against it. Looking ahead of him, Toravius saw that the other Fist had just finished securing the still limp Diomos, and had drawn his bolter to take aim at Toramino. Unleashing a torrent of fire at the squirming figure above him, the Marine slowly moved to the side of the pod, where Toravius' power sword was balancing precariously on the lip of the wall at one of the sealed exit points. Taking the weapon by the hilt, the Marine called "Commander!" as he tossed the sword towards Toravius, who caught it firmly in his hand.

Gazing up, Toravius saw the traitor Captain was on his feet, and was glaring back up at him, his mouth forming a hideous snarl of pure, unadulterated hatred. Suddenly, Toramino's bolter gauntlet was aimed up, but not at Toravius; at the other Marine. Lighting up the pod with flashes of orange and a roar of staccato gunfire, the hail of bullets ricocheted off his armour around his feet, before a few of the shells found their mark. As the bolt rounds popped against his feet, they found their target as the maglocks on his feet gave out under the damage. Losing his hold, the Marine fell headfirst towards the conical roof of the pod, where Toramino was waiting with a sick smile etched on his face. With a roar, Toramino thundered forwards and thrust his lightning claws out towards the prone Imperial Fist. An anguished "No!" escaping his lips, Toravius' eyes widened as he saw the sparking talons sink into the Marine's back, impaling him and earning a pained scream from the yellow-clad warrior.

Rage overwhelming him, Toravius immediately deactivated the maglocks at his feet and began to plummet up towards the Terminator Captain with his power sword stretched out in front of him. Letting out a primal roar, Toravius thrust his arm out as his sword sank into Toramino's shoulder, widening the wound already opened by the chainsword from inside the Heart of Darkness. Twisting his body at the last moment, he swung down and planted his feet on the pod's roof as he reversed his grip on the energised blade. Placing a boot on Toramino's hunched back, he thrust out and kicked the bulky Captain to the ground, pulling the sword out of his shoulder as he did.

Preparing for another strike, Toravius moved forwards but was hit by a large object as the Captain lashed out towards him, launching the eviscerated body of the fallen Marine towards him. The added weight of the Marine tore Toravius' feet from the hull and the two fell to the ground. Hauling the corpse off him, Toravius looked up to see Toramino looming over him, the gauntlet bolter aimed for his forehead. Before he could react, he saw the huge Iron Warrior growl in frustration and shield his head with his hands, as the top of his armour sparked under a bombardment of bolter fire. Looking up at the central pillar Toravius saw Brother Diomos, still strapped in place, aiming his bolter at Toramino who was unloading his clip into the traitor. Looking up as a red warning light spun in the corner and a claxon blared out, signifying they were approaching their apparent target, Toravius' blood ran cold. Whether that target was a planet or random debris in space, Toravius did not know.

Seeing his opportunity, Toravius thrust out with his power sword, the blade slicing into the bolter fixed to Toramino's hand, destroying the weapon. Turning to the wall of the pod, he grabbed onto the ridges lining the exit point and began to scale the pod. Reaching what was the floor of the pod, Toravius leaned out and readied himself, before leaping out and grasping the metal bars and straps on one of the slots on the central pillar, before beginning to strap himself in.

Controlling his breathing as he gripped the bars looping over his shoulders, he heard an automated voice drone out from the vox, but it was warped and drowned out under the blaring claxon. Looking down at the form of the traitor Toramino, Toravius gritted his teeth. Suddenly, an almighty _boom_ interrupted the sergeant's murderous thoughts as his chin was thrust down into his chest and he felt a searing pain in his torso as the bars keeping him in place groaned and almost snapped under the stress. All happening in less than a second, he heard the sound of shearing metal as something dislodged itself from the hull above him, and he felt a sharp impact on the back of his head. His vision blurred, lined with red, as the ringing in his ears drowned out the blaring claxon, and he blacked out.

He slipped in and out of consciousness Emperor knew how many times, every time he came to his vision was tinted red and he had a splitting pain in his head. He saw darkness, sometimes he saw a rectangle of light off to his right, other times he just about managed to make out his own gauntleted hands.

Toravius' eyes snapping open, he drew in a deep breath as he woke. Grabbing his restraints and tearing them from his body, he leapt to his feet and checked his hips for his gear. Bolter and power sword still secured. Looking to his right, he saw the drop pod's door was open; harsh white light pouring in illuminating the drop pod. Clambering out of the pod, he shielded his eyes from the sun as his eyes adjusted, and the sounds of battle reached his ears. Squinting, Toravius' eyes scanned his surroundings; flat grasslands over dusty plains, pale blue skies with a copse of trees in the distance, a full forest further behind that. He recognised two figures 40, maybe 50, metres away; Brother Diamos weaving under Captain Toramino's lumbering swipes, the Imperial Fist's yellow armour glinting almost gold in the sunlight.

Toravius shook his head to focus himself as he stepped out from the drop pod and prepared to join the combat, when something caught his eye. Above him. Raising his head up, he cursed as he saw the immense bulk of the Iron Warriors Cruiser _The Heart of Darkness_ slowly descending prow first towards the planet.


End file.
